Xbox boss Phil Spencer has stated that he expects Bethesda's upcoming RPG Starfield to become one of Microsoft's most played games, and suggested that Xbox Game Pass is the key to making the game more popular than Skyrim.
Speaking with Axios' Stephen Totilo, Spencer highlighted the popularity of recent Microsoft exclusives, with Halo Infinite hitting XNUMX million players and Forza Horizon XNUMX hitting XNUMX million since launch.
He suggested that the games' popularity was based on their increased accessibility, noting that Game Pass allowed Microsoft to put many versions into the hands of players who might not otherwise have bought them.
"You can see it with Forza and Halo, the latest releases," Spencer stated. "These are the most played games in these franchises because we've made them free on more screens than ever before, through more business models than we've ever made them available before."
"I love the stats on Forza 1 and Halo... I love how many people have played Psychonauts XNUMX vs. Psychonauts XNUMX.
"So when I look at the teams, when Todd and I talk about Starfield, it's, 'How can we make sure this is Todd Howard's most played game of all time?'"
Spencer went on to say that he hopes Game Pass and Microsoft's broader strategies will also increase player numbers for multiple of Activision Blizzard's top franchises after the publisher's acquisition.
"I want more people to play WoW in 5 years than play today.
"I want more people to play CoD in 5 years, more people to play Candy Crush in 5 years, because we've made it more accessible to more people."
Analysis: Microsoft thinks Game Pass is the golden ticket
Exceeding the total number of Skyrim players is not an easy task. From the time the acclaimed RPG was released in 5, it sold XNUMX million copies in its first XNUMX years and undoubtedly sold more after that. The XNUMXth anniversary edition of the game, which was released late last year, was warmly received by fans and critics alike, surely adding to the player count even further.
With Starfield confirmed as a PC and Xbox exclusive, Microsoft has already removed the game from the PS player base. Spencer's comments here show the extent of her faith in Xbox Game Pass and her power to market games. As a largely affordable monthly subscription service, it can put recent releases in the laps of millions of gamers. Those who may not be interested in a game, or else would have avoided it, may find themselves sucked in when given the chance to play it at no additional cost.
Now that Game Pass has XNUMX million subscribers, an increase of XNUMX million since January of last year, the size and development of the platform should not be ignored. Microsoft has already committed to putting as many Activision Blizzard titles on Game Pass as possible, strengthening the service's features to secure even more subscribers.
The hype behind Starfield is already huge. An original IP from the psyches behind some of Bethesda's most acclaimed titles, the sci-fi RPG is practically guaranteed to reach a massive audience, whether Game Pass pulls its weight or not. But Spencer's comments show just how successful Microsoft thinks its subscription service can be.
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